Lung Cancer, COPD & Pneumonia: The triple threat of SMOKING

Smoking alone puts an individual at the risk of developing over 50 percent of serious illnesses. In fact, the death rate for any kind of smoker is two to three times higher than that for non-smokers.

- Dr. Pavan Yadav

Time and again the message of caution that smoking is injurious to health has been propagated over various mediums of communication. Smoking alone puts an individual at the risk of developing over 50 percent of serious illnesses. Some of these illnesses can be fatal and others can cause long-term irreversible damage to your health. Second-hand smoking is also as good as direct smoking and exposes individuals to the same health risks as smokers.

In fact, the death rate for any kind of smoker is two to three times higher than that for non-smokers. Half of the smokers eventually die as a result of their smoking. Despite these dramatic and proven health risks, there are many people who find it hard to kick the habit and put themselves at a high risk of developing smoking-related diseases.

Let us explore the top 3 ill effects of smoking:

1. Lung Cancer: Smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer. It doesn’t matter if a person smokes only one cigarette or multiple times a day, or only smokes occasionally, the chances of developing lung cancer increase for sure. Smoking produces more than 4,000 chemicals including carbon dioxide, tars and nicotine and these are capable of transforming normal cells into cancer cells over time. The cancer risk is directly proportional to the number of cigarettes one smokes every day. People who quit smoking have a lower risk of developing lung cancer, and this risk gradually decreases over time. Do not continue the habit by thinking that you are already too far in. Stopping can slowly reduce and reverse the damage already caused to your body.